


Home alone

by FallenFurther



Series: Whumptober 2020 [8]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Babysitting, Broken Bones, Brothers, Concussions, First Aid, Gen, Pain, Storm - Freeform, Vomiting, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:28:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27229594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenFurther/pseuds/FallenFurther
Summary: Jeff and Grandma are flying to England for the weekend and leaving Scott in charge. Despite the storm warning, Scott still encourages them to go saying it would be nothing they hadn't handled before. When the storm comes it is worse that what Scott expected and things only get worse as the night goes on.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946191
Comments: 7
Kudos: 21
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	1. Ok, who had natural disasters on their 2020 bingo card?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober number 27
> 
> Prompt: Extreme weather

Tracy Industries had become a global company, which meant Dad's presence was now required at various international events. This weekend's gala was in London and Grandma had also been invited by a Lord Creighton-Ward. Apparently he was a family friend, not that Scott had ever met him, but it meant Dad had to leave Scott in charge. At seventeen, Scott knew he could look after his younger brothers, which mainly involved keeping Gordon and Alan in line, so had pushed Dad and Grandma to go. Scott had insisted he could handle it, that everything would be fine and nothing could go wrong. 

Those words had come back to haunt him. The weather warning had worried Grandma and Dad but Scott had insisted it would blow over and they'd be fine. He and Virgil were more than capable of putting up the storm shutters. They had left having confirmed that their neighbour would check up on them. Scott huffed at the idea but if it meant he got a weekend of fun and junk food with his brothers, he'd accept the intrusion. The storm warning had been upgraded to include a tornado warning by midday. Virgil and John had helped get the storm shutters on that afternoon after school. The wind had tried its best to stop them, almost blowing him and John over, but they managed to get a cover on every window. They were exhausted when they headed inside, only to find storm Alan had passed through with the art supplies. There were pens scattered across the dining room table, an up-ended pot of glitter was on the floor and red ink was all around his mouth from where he'd bitten too hard on a felt tip pen. Scott had sighed, ruffled his little brother's hair and taken photo evidence which he sent to Dad. Virgil took over supervising Alan, John tidied up and Scott checked on Gordon, who was still watching Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. 

Scott then prepared dinner while listening to the low growling of the wind. Pizzas and chips were thrown on the oven while peas were microwaved with a knob of butter. Scott pulled the coffee table into the middle of the living room and set up the food, buffet style. The only complaints came when Scott put peas on both Alan and Gordon's plates. Scott snapped a picture of both begrudgingly eating the greens and sent it to Grandma. The Discovery Channel was switched to Alan's choice of movie while they had ice-cream for dessert. The movie, Space Cadet, was a new release which Alan adored and had something in it for everyone. Virgil loved the music score, Gordon loved the aliens and John was impressed by the intricacy of the alien languages, which apparently had sophisticated grammar. Scott just enjoyed seeing Alan's face light up at the idea of intergalactic travel. Every picture he'd drawn that day had been space related, from a rocket to a space station to his future house on Mars. 

The surround sound had drowned out the storm, so when it was time for bed Scott had forgotten about it. Alan had gone to bed fine and Gordon had followed not long after as he needed to be up early in the morning for swimming practice. Scott went round and ensured everything was locked up while the howling of the wind increased. They'd survived many Kansas storms in this house, so he wasn't afraid, but he was in charge and it added to the weight on his shoulders. He headed back into the living room, flopped down on the sofa with his tablet and pulled up his homework. Better to get it out the way now. He sat in companionable silence with Virgil and John. The wailing outside became stronger still and there was a loud creak as the veranda shifted in the wind. Scott paused, listening. The house whined again as the wind whipped up against it. A loud crunch came from outside as the wind blew something across the yard. This was a serious storm, he hadn't heard one sound this bad since before Mum had died. Something didn't feel right. 

Scott wasn’t surprised when a tired Alan stumbled into the living room and curled up beside him. Scott wrapped his arm around his little brother and continued with his homework, an ear on the weather. Part of him wanted to take a look, the rest of him knew that was a bad idea. The shrieking intensified as the storm shutter rattled against the window. Alan curled in closer. A few minutes later Gordon joined them in the living room, squeezing onto the sofa next to Virgil. 

"I'm not scared. I just can't sleep with all the rattling."

"Sure." John responded from his chair where he was folded up with a book. 

Gordon poked his tongue out at John. Scott placed the tablet down and wrapped his arms around Alan. He refused to show that he was worried knowing he had to keep it together as the oldest. The roar of the wind intensified and the house complained in response. It was at that moment that the lights went out. 

"I'll check the fuse box."

Virgil's voice came from the darkness along with the sound of footsteps. He didn't get far when an almighty crack came from the window, followed by the shattering of glass. Scott instinctively shifted to protect Alan who screamed. Dim light streamed into the room with the wind. Turning to assess the damage, Scott's stomach dropped as he registered what he could see through the window. 

"Tornado! Everyone to the basement, NOW!"


	2. If you thought head trauma was bad...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober number 26 
> 
> Prompt: Concussion

The shattering of the window had startled John. The wind had whipped through the room and almost drowned out Scott’s yell. The words filled John’s heart with fear as the storm shutter was completely ripped from the house, taking most of the window with it. The gust that it let in battered his body as he stood. The change in pressure caused doors around the house to slam shut. John took a step forward with his arm raised to his head as a shield. Alan’s screams filled the air. Squinting, he could see Virgil clinging to the door frame with his other hand gripped tightly around Gordon’s arm. Alan was being pushed forward by Scott whose face was the picture of worry. 

The howling of the wind had been replaced with the whoosh of air spiralling around the room and the sound of their possession being battered and shifted. Paper filled the air as the art cabinet was blown over. The coffee table banged as it was shifted against the wall. John knew they had to get to the basement fast. A tornado could move quickly and would rip their house to shreds if it came much closer. At least in the basement they had a chance. The strong walls and beams would shield them from the worst of it. 

Willing his body forward, John tried to follow his brothers. His book was still in his grasp as he saw Virgil yank open the basement door. He disappeared down it with Gordon in tow. It was a small relief as John wobbled in the wind. An almighty clunk came from behind him. Something hard flew into the back of his head. Thrown into the wall, John stubbled and sank to the floor. He’d let go of his book in shock, as his hand went to the back of his head. His fingers reached through the strands of ginger and found something sticky and he winced at the slight touch. Blinking back the tears, John knelt and caught his breath. 

“John!”

John glanced up. He could just make out Scott, who was standing at the basement door waiting for him, as well as the sheen of the metal light fitting a few yards before him. Nausea flooded John, and he had to fight it back. He tried to stand, only for the dizziness to overwhelm him and return him to his knees. The throbbing in his head intensified and he screwed up his eyes. Breathing steadily, he tried to ready himself. Instead, he felt someone grab his arm and pull him up. An arm slipped around his back. 

“Come on, John. We gotta get downstairs.”

Scott’s voice was a reassurance, and his elder brother took most of his weight. He was guided along the corridor. Scott slammed the basement door shut, sending more waves of pain through John’s head. The descent down the steps was slow, after Scott had to catch him when he stumbled. At the bottom, John pushed away from Scott and crawled to the nearest wall where he lost the battle with his stomach. The acidic taste in his mouth and the smell made everything seem worse. John just collapsed, breathing heavily and whimpered in pain. A cautious hand reached out and grasped his shoulder. 

“John?”

Scott’s touch was soft. John was gently lifted up and onto Scott’s lap. 

“My head.” Tears slipped from John’s eyes. 

His brother’s fingers reached around John’s head causing him to hiss. 

“Virgil, John needs your first aid skills. He has a massive gash on his head and it’s bleeding.”


	3. I think I’ve broken something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober number 26
> 
> Prompt: Broken bones

Scott had shielded him from the initial gust of wind, but Scott had dragged Alan off the sofa when he’d cried tornado. Alan had screamed when he’d seen it. It was just as it had looked on the TV, a massive swirl of wind heading their way. He had seen the devastation they could cause not only on the news but when they had once driven through an area two days after one had passed through. Debris from destroyed homes and fences had been scattered everywhere. Now he was staring straight at a real one. He wanted Dad. Dad would know what to do. 

Instead, Scott had placed his hand on Alan’s shoulder and pushed him forward. The wind in the house was strong, but he could do it. He just had to follow the shadows of Virgil and Gordon. They were just ahead, and Scott was behind. In that moment he felt as safe as he could. He had his brothers and they weren't going to leave him. Alan gathered up all his determination and set his eyes on the basement door. The wind tried its hardest to stop him but he made it to the basement door with Scott right beside him. Alan started down the old wooden steps. 

“John!”

Scott’s cry made Alan turn. He watched Scott’s shadow disappear and suddenly he felt alone. A bang from below reminded him that he had two brothers waiting for him, even if Scott was no longer behind him. Rushing forward, Alan got down another two steps before his foot caught in his pyjama bottoms and he stumbled. He fell forward, his arms went up instinctively, only for the left one to smack straight into the edge of a step. The wood dug in and there was a sickening crack. Alan’s body continued to fall until he hit the floor hard with a cry. His arm was on fire and he immediately curled up cradling it. 

“Alan!”

Virgil was at Alan’s side in a flash. His arms slipped around him and Alan was lifted and carried to the centre of the room. Each step jarred his arm and Alan whimpered. The darkness in the basement was a hundred times worse than it had been upstairs. 

“What’s wrong, Alan?”

Gordon’s voice came from somewhere nearby. 

“My arm. My arm hurts.” Alan sobbed. 

He was hurt. He was scared. It was dark and there was a tornado above them. Alan wanted his dad. Dad would know what to do. Dad would fix this. Why did Dad have to be away this weekend? Why wasn’t he here with them?


	4. Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober number 20
> 
> Prompt: Field medicine

Virgil glanced at his two patients; Alan sobbing with what was likely a broken arm and John curled up with a suspected concussion. Scott’s phone was lying before him, screen down with the torch on so they could see. It was one of those moments where he was really glad he had a close relationship with his Grandma. The old medic had taught him and Scott first aid, though Scott had only participated to get his Rescue Scout badge. Virgil had lapped it up. He might not want a career in medicine but he was contemplating getting the basic first responder qualifications and volunteering at large events. Right now though, he had two patients to manage, neither of them critical, but both in need of proper medical attention. They had tried to call an ambulance however the storm must have taken down a local relay station as they were struggling to get anything more than a flicker of reception, which would cut out the moment they tried to make a call. With no first aid kit, it was up to Virgil to stabilize his patients. Taking a deep breath, Virgil tried to push his fear and worry to the back of his mind and get on with what he could do. 

“I need to splint Alan’s arm, and I need to clean John’s wound and bandage his head. We’re going to have to think on our feet and work with what we’ve got at hand.”

Scott and Gordon both headed off into the shadows and started to route around the boxes, shelves and drawers for things that could help. Virgil headed to the small pantry area that Grandma had set up, hoping to find the emergency box. Bending down, he found the metal container and pulled it from the shelf so he could open in. Inside were some tins of cooked food, some bottles of water, biscuits and spare batteries. There was normally a first aid kit, but Virgil had seen her with it Thursday night after she had realised Gordon had previously raided her other one without her knowledge. It had been Gordon who had fallen off the fence he’d been climbing and scraped his knee bad enough to need a bandage. It was too dangerous to risk going upstairs to get it. Virgil carried the box to the middle knowing the water and biscuits would go down a treat. 

“I’ve got some old but probably clean bed sheets here. Could we use them for bandages?” Gordon called from a corner.

“Sounds great. Bring them over.”

Gordon returned with a bundle of sheets which Virgil remembered from his and Scott’s childhood. One had planes on, while the other sported multiple printed paint splodges. Scott returned to the light with two multitools and some offcuts of pipe left over from when they had made a watercourse for boats last summer for Gordon. 

“I thought we could use these pipes to splint Alan’s arm. They won’t be comfortable, but they should do the job.”

Scott sat down and Virgil gave him a smile, as he took a multitool and pipes. 

“It’ll do. Gordon, fancy cutting those sheets into long strips. They need to be as bandage-like as possible.”

“Got it.”

Gordon snatched up the multitool and got to work, while Virgil filed down and neatened up the edges of two of the pipes. When the pipes were as good as he could get them, he turned to Gordon, who had a large pile of fabric strips in front of him and was happily continuing to finish off the rest of the sheet. 

“One sheet should be enough Gordon.”

“Oh, are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Virgil smiled as he grabbed a few of the makeshift bandaged and turned his attention to Alan. Their youngest brother was cradling his arm and sad blue eyes met his. 

“Sorry Alan, this is going to be uncomfortable, but it should stop the arm from getting any worse.”

The small nod he got from Alan said it all. Virgil carefully took Alan’s arm in his hands. It hurt to see the pain in Alan’s face but this was the best thing for him. Virgil had nothing to take away his brother’s pain. Scott came to his side with the pipes. Virgil placed them in the right locations and Scott held them there and allowed Virgil to carefully but firmly bind the pipes alongside the broken bone. Alan hissed and whimpered, but it had to be done. He had to hurt his brother to ensure there was no more damage done to the arm. Once Virgil was happy with the bindings, he tested the blood flow to Alan’s hand by pinching his finger. The blood rushed back in nicely. Virgil reached behind for the pillow case which had matching planes on it. Slicing it up, Virgil made a sling which he tied behind Alan’s neck. 

“That more comfortable?”

Alan nodded, a tear escaping his eye and rolling down his cheek. 

“Thank you, Virgil.”

Virgil gave Alan a careful hug before grabbing more of the bandages and the other pillow cases. He headed to John, who was still curled up on the floor. Scott helped John sit up, and held the light so Virgil could inspect the wound on the back of their brother’s head. There was a nasty gash that was still weeping. Opening a bottle of water, Virgil gently washed the wound, using the pillow cases to absorb the water to not get his brother wet. John groaned throughout but didn’t ask him to stop. With the wound a little cleaner, Virgil removed some strands of hair from it before placing a folded strip over the wound to absorb any further bleeding. Scott held this in place allowing Virgil to wrap a bandage around John’s head to apply pressure and secure it. When done, Virgil inspected the bump on John’s forehead, before pressing a bottle of water into John’s hand. John was still pale and was still in obvious pain, but a small smile of thanks did cross his brother’s lips before he took a slow swig of water. 

The rest of the night was spent together waiting for the storm to blow over. Alan and Gordon drifted off to sleep quickly, despite the faint howling from outside and the uncomfortable conditions. John drifted in and out, though Scott and Virgil tried to keep him awake as much as possible, fearing that they wouldn’t notice any deterioration in John if he fell asleep. They finally got signal strong enough to call an ambulance just after three o’clock and the ambulances were with them thirty minutes later. Scott ended up driving behind them with a sleeping Gordon in the back, knowing that he shouldn’t strand them at the hospital. Virgil had stayed with Alan, who really didn’t want to be alone. John said he was fine on his own, but they were all reunited at the hospital. Virgil had a reassuring hand on Alan the whole time. It was hard being separated from his brother, needed the comfort that their presence provided, but this would be temporary. The emergency staff were impressed with their resourcefulness, which filled Virgil with pride. He and his brothers had done well. Alan was lucky and only needed a cast on his arm, though John was admitted under observation and for antibiotics. Once the medics had confirmed they would both be okay, Scott called Dad. Virgil didn’t envy him. Dad was very worried, but was happy that they were able to get to the hospital. They would be on the next flight back to America. Not wanting to go home, Scott paid for a room in the hotel near the hospital where they all crashed together on the double bed, exhausted.


End file.
